maxim



(No Model.)

H. S. MAXIM.

3 SheetsSheet 1.

GAS ENGiNE.

Patented Mar. 25 1884 N4 PEKER PhomLilhognpher. mamm. 0.1;

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. S. MAXIM GAS ENGINE.

No. 295,784. Patented Mar. 25,1884.

a sheets-411m, s. I

HQ MAXIM.

GAS ENGINE.

Patnted Mar. 25, 1 884.,

(No Model.)

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HIRAM S. MAXIM, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

G AS E N G l N E.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,784, dated March 25, 188%.-

Application filed June 13, 1883. (No model.) Patented in France January 16, 1883, No. 153,138, and in England February 23, 1683, N0. 999.

To all 2077 0772 it may concern 7 Be 11; known that I, IIIRAJI S. IlIAXIM, a citizen of the United States, at present residing in Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas'Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

In otherapplicationsfiled byme I have shown and described engines operated by successive explosions of charges of gas, or gas and air, which, by properly-adjusted valves, are intro duced underaworking-piston andignited while under compression. 111 one form of engine operating on this principle two connected pistons-a working, a vacuum, or exhaust piston operating conjointly and without intermediate valves or stutfing-boxeswere shown. These formed parts of an engine adapted to be run by the explosion of 'charges introduced directly from a gas supply.

My present invention, while designed as an improvement applicable to gas-engines generally, is more particularly directed to the form of engine above described, the main object of the improvements being to provide for the automatic production of gas from volatile fluids in quantities proportioned to the work performed by the engine. To this end I have combined with the working-cylinder a gaschamber communicating with a supply of volatile liquid, and for the purpose of regulating the admission of liquid into said chamber I have devised certain instrumentalities of novel character which prevent the flooding of the gas chamber or cylinders of the engine, and which admit a definite quantity of liquid into the gas-chamber at definite intervals. I have also improved the construction of the engine in other particulars, the nature of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for an explanation of the invention, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the engine at right angles to the shaft. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with the igniting or exploding mechanism in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line as .70 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4tis a vertical section on line 2 z, and Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrative of the action of the governor.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

A and B are two cylinders, the latter of somewhat greater diameter than the former. Between the two cylinders, and extending under the cylinder B, is a chamber, 0, from which leads an exhaust-valve, c.

A and B are two connected pistons working in the cylinders A and B, respectively.

0 is a ring of the same diameter as cylinder A, and supported at a short distance beyond the end of said cylinder, the purpose-of such ring beingto steady the piston A and to prevent its rings fromexpanding when said piston is withdrawn from its cylinder. The cylinder A is extended to form the usual explosion-chamber a, into which opens an air-valve, 12. Both explosion chamber and cylinder are surrounded by a water-jacket, D, in which a circulation of cold water is maintained during the operation of the engine.

At the rear of cylinder A or the explosionchamber a is another chamber, d, surrounded by an air-space, D. An air-valve, E, opens into chamber (1, and communication between the chamber and the space aat the rear of the cylinder A is controlled by a valve consisting of a cylindrical cup, 6, having a line of per forations, 0, near its closed end. This cup opens into the space a by sliding through a perforation in the partition separating the chambers d and a, and is connected to a rod or spindle, F, that extends out through a stuff ing-box in the rear of chamber (Z. A spiral spring-around the spindle F keepsthe valve 0 closed.

G is a small cylinder entering the chamber (1. Through it passes a rod, g, surrounded by a spring, 9, that forces the end of the rod into a small aperture, f, in the end of the cylinder.

G is a pipe leading from a tank or any slightly-elevated receptacle containing a volatile liquid. By this means the cylinder G is kept always filled with the liquid under slight pressure.

On the outer end of rod or spindle g is a head, h, and a stop or pin, 71. Between these is a sliding weight, II, that by means of a spiral spring, 2', surrounding the rod g, is normally held against the head h.

i From the rear of the chamber (I extend arms I, in the ends of which is journaled a rockshaft, J, from which extends an arm, L, in a position to encounter the end of spindle F and the sliding weight H or a hinged catch, 73, which in practice I use in conjunction with the weight H. The rock-shaft J is operated by a rod, K, connected to a pivoted arm, K. The end of rod K is bent round and extended into the path of a roller, M, on a pin, on, set in a projection on the hub of a pulley-wheel, N. The roller M has an endwise movement on the pin m, and its position is controlled by the arm of a pivoted centrifugal governor-weight, 0, so that when the engine is running too fast the roller is thrown out of line with the rod K and the valves are not worked until the speed is again reduced to its normal limit.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Oil is admitted through pipe G, filling the cylinder G. If the oil be of a very volatile nature, the chamber (1 will not need to be heated. If, however, it be common kerosene oil, the lamp 1? is lighted and kept burning until the chamber dis raised to a temperature sufficiently high to evaporate the oil, or to hold it in suspension in vapor. The engine is then turned by hand until the first explosion takes place. The outward movement of the piston A draws in air through valve 1), and the outward movement of piston B produces a vacuum in chamber 0. ther outward movement of the pistons, the piston A is drawn from the cylinder A and said cylinder Ais brought into communication with space 0, a partial vacuum is produced in said cylinder, causing valve 1) to open and admit a supply of air. On the return of the pistons the air is compressed in the explosionchamber a, and at the same time, by the movement of the rock-shaft J, caused by the contact of roller M with rod K, the valve 6 is opened, allowing air to rush through the valves E and 6 into the cylinder A. The air entering cylinder A through valve e,heing impregnated with the gas from chamber d, renders the air in cylinder A explosive, and when at the proper moment aflame is brought into the cylinder A an explosion is produced, which drives the pistons forward. The opertion is continued thereafter by a similar action of the parts as long as gas is produced in the chamber (2.

In order to maintain the supply of gas con stant, I have used the devices above described for admitting licjuid into chamber cl, the action of which is as follows: When the arm L is moved by the rock-shaft toward the chamber D, it encounters the catch t, and slides the weight H in the same direction. XVhen arm L has reached a certain point, it passes and liberates the catch, so that the weight H, by the force of spring 1', is thrown against the head h. This opens for an instant the aperture f and admits a jet of the oil into the chamber (1. As

soon as the force of the blow is expended, the aperture f is again closed by the action of the spring 9, and no more oil will escape until the hen, by the furengine has made another revolution. By this means flooding of the engine is prevented, for no matter at what point the lever L may be stopped the oil-valve will never remain open, as the opening is due only to the blow given by weight H. It is to be observed too, that the oil-valve is never opened unless the valve 6 be opened also. By an adjustment of the spring or g the effect of the blow of weight H is varied and the quantity of oil admitted controlled.

Vhen the chamber (1 has been once heated by the lamp 1, the lamp may be extinguished, as the heat of the explosions in the cylinder a will afterward be sufficient to maintain the necessary temperature.

The means for igniting the charges may be of any proper kind. I have, however, devised a special device for this purpose, which is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:.

R is a slide or piston connected by a rod, 1,

with an eccentric on the crank-shaft. In the slide R is a chamber, R, extending through said slide from side to side, and S is 'a space extending-from this chamber for admitting air into the same when the piston has moved to the'end of its outward stroke. In the slide or piston, and projecting into the chamber R, is a wick, s.

T is a chimney, open at top and bottom, and t an open space between the cylinder A and the casing of the slide or piston R.

A double-wicked lamp, V, is placed under the slide, so that one wick,t ,burns in the space it, the other, T, in the chimney, thereby producing a draft that draws the flame from wick 25 through the chamber B, when the latter coincides with the space 15.

In the casing of the slide R is an oil-reservoir, W, that registers with a passage, IV, in the slide It, and thereby supplies oil to the wick 8. air is admitted into chamber B through passage S, the wick s, ignited by contact with flame t, and then carried to the opening in the side of the cylinder A, igniting the charge contained therein. a

For regulating the amount of gas admitted at each opening of the valve 6, the valve may be adjusted by a spring, as has been heretofore done by me. Other details in the construction and management of the engine are not further described herein, as they are familiar to those skilled in the art;

In many respects the engine which I have now described resembles in construction and principle of operation those described in other applications by me made. The addition, how- On the forward movement of the slide I ever, ofgas-generating mechanism adds greatly i to the capacity of the engine, for it is evidenttages of the engine are that it obviates many serious faults common to oil-engines. Heretofore these have not had a sure means of in troduoing a definite quantity of oil at each stroke. In those in which the oil was under pressure there was nothing to prevent too much oil from entering, or the engine being flooded. Another objection to the previouslyexisting oil-engines is in the fact that the cook or valve for admitting oil is situated at some distance from its discharge. The consequence would be that several charges of oil would flow out of the pipe at one time; then the engine would make several strokes without any oil at all until the pipe was again filled. By my invention there is no space between the discharge and the valve, the valve being constructed in such manner that the oil is thrown out against the heated wall of the explosion chamber in a jet or spray.

Reserving as subject for other applications matters herein shown but not claimed, what I now claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in an engine of the kind described, of an explosion-chamber, a gasgenerating chamber communicating therewith by means of a suitably-operated valve, an automatically-closed valve arranged to introduce oil into said gas-generating chamber, a spring actuated mechanism for opening said valve, and means for setting said mechanism intermittently in operation, the action of which depends upon the movement of the engine, all as set forth.

2. The combination,with an explosion-chamber and an air valve opening into the same,

of a gas-generating chamber arranged to communicate therewith by means of a suitable valve, an oil-valve and air-inlet valve opening into said gas generating chamber, and means for operating said valves in proper relation to each other, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a vacuum or exhaust cylinder and piston, a working cylinder and piston, an automatic air-valve opening into the working-cylinder, a gas-generating chamber, a valve for controlling the admission of gas from the gas-generating chamber to the working-cylinder, and an automatic air-valve opening into the generating-chamber, all as described.

4. The combination,with the working-cylinder of an engine of the kind described, of a gas-generating chamber, avalve for admitting oil into said chamber, mechanism for opening said valve, and a governor operated by the engine for rendering said mechanism inoperative when the speed of the engine becomes too high, all as set forth.

5. The combination,with the Working-cylin der A and valve 1), of the chamber d, valves E e, oil-valve G, and mechanism, substantially as described for operating the same.

6. The combination,with the working-cylinder A and valves 1) e, of the chamber (1 air and oil valves opening into the same, and the hot-air space surrounding said chamber, all as set forth.

HIRAM S. MAXIM.

Attest:

PARKER W. PAGE, XV. FRIsBY. 

